NASHVILLE, TN – Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Chris Devaney today criticized Democrat Representative Bart Gordon for controversial comments he made regarding voters in his district.

“The citizens of Rep. Bart Gordon’s district have every right to be angry about his comments,” said Devaney. “His insinuation that 6th district constituents voted a certain way because of race or because they couldn’t comprehend an ‘urbane’ candidate is an insult to those he was elected to represent.”

Devaney’s comments come after a story published in the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call, reported:

"[T]here was a ‘cultural issue’ that came into play in last year’s presidential election. Obama ’seemed to be too urbane’ for 6th district voters, Gordon said. ‘If you’re from some of those small counties, [Obama was] some guy from Chicago that speaks differently than you.’

“Gordon acknowledged that racism was also a factor in Obama’s performance in the district. ‘Unfortunately, there was probably a little bit of that, but it was more just being urbane,’ Gordon said.”

“Here in Tennessee we’re sophisticated enough to know that President Obama’s big government, tax and spend policies won’t benefit our state and that’s why he didn’t do well in this district,” continued Devaney. “Unfortunately, Rep. Gordon has decided to align himself with the liberal left by voting for Speaker Pelosi’s cap-and-trade national energy tax and President Obama’s government takeover of health care. It’s already evident in a state House special election inside Gordon’s district that constituents are rejecting the Obama-Gordon viewpoint and when 6th district voters make their way to the polls next year, it won’t be to re-elect Bart Gordon.”

####